Women's Day.

2012 THEME: CONNECTING GIRLS, INSPIRING FUTURES

If every International Women's Day event held in 2012 includes girls in some way, then thousands of minds will be inspired globally.

Each year around the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organisations, governments, charities and women's groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

"Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures" is the 2012 theme of the internationalwomensday.com website and this has been widely used by hundreds of organisations including schools, universities, governments, women’s groups and the private sector. Each year the United Nations declares an overall International Women's Day theme. Their 2012 theme is “Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty”. Many organisations develop their own themes that are more relevant to their local contexts. For example, the European Parliament's 2012 theme is "Equal pay for work of equal value".

United Nation International Women's Day themes:

• 2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.
• 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology.
• 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for All.
• 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
• 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
• 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
• 2006: Women in decision-making
• 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
• 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
• 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
• 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
• 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
• 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
• 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
• 1998: Women and Human Rights
• 1997: Women at the Peace Table
• 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
• 1975: First IWD celebrated by the United Nations.

Happy International Women's Day.